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Tobacco Use Among Students Ages 13–15 Years—Baghdad, Iraq, 2008

April 03, 2009 / Vol. 58 / No. 12

MMWR Introduction

In 2008, the Iraqi Ministry of Health conducted the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) in Baghdad. GYTS is a school-based survey of students aged 13–15 years. According to the report, smoking tobacco in shisha (also known as hookahs or water pipes) appears to be a preferred form of tobacco use for young people. In addition, the likely initiation of cigarette smoking by girls who have never smoked cigarettes (11.8%) is significantly higher than the current cigarette smoking rate for girls (2.7%) and may result in an increase in the future burden of disease caused by tobacco use in Iraq.